Tinley Park’s Planning Commission voted unanimously on Aug. 7 to recommend that the Village Board approve a special use and site-plan architectural approval to convert part of an existing medical office at 16532 Oak Park Avenue into a one-bedroom, one-bath dwelling to be located to the rear of the principal commercial use. The commission approved site-plan/architectural changes and the special-use recommendation by roll call; the item will go to the Village Board on Aug. 19.

The proposal, presented by architect Betsy Ginsberg on behalf of Dr. Jason Crescenzo and Tinley Park Medical Property LLC (Amazing Smiles), would reduce Suite 102 and create an 885-square-foot one-bedroom unit with a dedicated exterior entrance, a 40-square-foot (4-by-10) private patio with railing and two parking stalls designated for resident use. The building is an approximately 11,000-square-foot, two-level medical office built in the early 2000s; the site has 49 parking stalls (two accessible).

Ginsberg said the applicant is not seeking further exterior modification beyond the new entrance door, a canopy and a single exterior sconce to make the space feel residentially oriented. She added that interior building permits had not yet been submitted. Ellen Sims, the building manager, said the conversion responds in part to staffing needs and possible future residency interest by medical staff.

Planning staff noted that the zoning code treats a dwelling unit located to the rear of a principal commercial use as a special-use case and that the code requires 2.5 parking spaces per dwelling unit, with instructions to round down when a fraction occurs; under that rule the one-unit proposal requires two parking stalls. Staff and the commission concluded the existing lot and the proposed two dedicated stalls meet that requirement and that the remaining supply would be adequate given current occupancy patterns.

Resident Therese Radke, who said she lives within 250 feet, asked about the tax implications of converting commercial floor area to mixed-use classification. Staff and commissioners discussed Cook County’s mixed-use property classification and its potential effect on tax assessment, but noted assessment and fiscal impact determinations are made by the Cook County assessor and not by the Planning Commission.

Motion 1 (site-plan and architectural approval) was made by Commissioner Manning and seconded by Commissioner Gaskell; Motion 2 (special-use recommendation) was made by Commissioner Gatto and seconded by Commissioner Hamilton. Both motions passed on unanimous roll-call votes. The item will return to the Village Board for final action on Aug. 19.